A new study found that not all geoengineering ideas are created equal. Brightening marine clouds over the eastern Pacific could dramatically weaken the El Niño cycle, triggering major changes to global weather patterns, while stratospheric aerosol injection left the system largely unchanged. Researchers say the results are a reminder that efforts to cool the planet
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Climate scientist who “proved” humanity is warming Earth says government report got it wrong
A pioneering climate scientist is challenging a U.S. government report that cited his research while reaching what he says is the exact opposite conclusion. Benjamin Santer and his colleagues say decades of satellite data clearly reveal the atmospheric “fingerprint” of human-caused climate change. Their new peer-reviewed analysis argues the report contains major scientific errors and…
More trees can mean fewer birds, new study reveals
Trees planted to protect farmland from wind may not be the biodiversity boost many assume. In Japan’s wetland farming landscapes, shelterbelts benefited some birds but sharply reduced grassland and wetland species that need open space. Researchers found grassland bird abundance dropped by more than 70% near shelterbelts.
Hidden geological process offsets carbon emissions from thawing permafrost
Scientists found that thawing permafrost can trigger increased rock weathering, a natural process that absorbs CO2 from the atmosphere. In some regions, this carbon uptake was strong enough to fully offset — or even surpass — river greenhouse gas emissions.
Major errors found in Al Gore-founded Climate TRACE database
A new study from Northern Arizona University is raising red flags about a widely used global emissions database from Climate TRACE, a consortium co-founded by Al Gore. Researchers found that the database may be dramatically undercounting carbon dioxide emissions from cars and trucks in cities—by an average of 70% across 260 U.S. cities, with some…
Beneath our feet lies a fungal superhighway stretching 68 quadrillion miles
Beneath our feet lies a vast hidden fungal superhighway that helps sustain much of life on Earth—and scientists have now mapped it for the first time. Researchers estimate that these underground networks stretch an astonishing 110 quadrillion kilometers, move about 4 billion tons of carbon dioxide into soils each year, and play a major role…
Scientists turn tofu and cheese waste into tiny CO2-catching beads
Scientists have developed biodegradable protein beads made from dairy and tofu waste that can capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere more efficiently than many current technologies. Unlike conventional systems that require large amounts of energy, the new method releases captured CO2 using a simple room-temperature process.
An invisible forever chemical rain is falling across the planet
A surprising study suggests that chemicals introduced to protect the ozone layer may have unintentionally created a growing global pollution problem. Researchers found that refrigerants and certain anesthetic gases have generated more than 335,000 tonnes of trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), a highly persistent “forever chemical,” that has been deposited across Earth’s surface since 2000. The pollutant…
South Australia’s koala boom could end in mass starvation
South Australia’s koala population has grown so large that it may be heading toward a self-made disaster, with forests struggling to support the animals. Researchers say targeted fertility control could prevent widespread starvation and habitat collapse before it’s too late.
Scientists sound the alarm as dangerous amoebas spread globally
Scientists warn that free-living amoebae may be an underappreciated public health threat, capable of causing deadly infections and shielding other dangerous microbes from water treatment. Climate change and aging infrastructure could help these resilient organisms spread more widely in the years ahead.